


Can you feel my heart?

by AmariaStark



Series: Can you feel my heart? [1]
Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Demons, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mental Link, Romance, Soulmates, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-22 06:32:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16592660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmariaStark/pseuds/AmariaStark
Summary: Lily has lived most of her life locked in a small room at Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men, convinced of being nothing but a nuisance.... Until Michael Langdon appears and shows her the true meaning of her existance.





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Kinda scared bc this is the first thing I dare to post, but open to any critique, bad or good. I apologize if there´s any mistake, English isn´t my first language.

Even before Michael set foot in the sanctuary, she had already sensed his energy spreading through the house and surroundings. She noticed it immediately, his presence is so strong and unique, nothing like what she was used to.

She tried to locate the source of that mysterious and attractive energy, but she'd only feel it coming closer and closer, indicating that it was nobody or anything known to her eyes. In spite of the uncertainty, that presence brought with it a certain feeling of peace and tranquillity she didn't remember having had in a long time.

Lilith ran to the door, sticking an ear against the wood, trying to pick up any voice or sound that would show what was happening, but all she could catch were echoes of footsteps. She stayed a few minutes more like that, the faint sound of laughter and voices coming from the first floor, but they were so many and at the same time she couldn't figure out what they were saying. Something about a new student had to be because the word "welcome" was repeated several times among the choir of male voices.

Normally she wasn't interested in new pupils, it was common and unimportant. One day they arrived, studied and learned the art of sorcery, and then went to the outside world; where they were eclipsed by witches and limited to using their gifts for personal enjoyment.

But he was different, he had to be if they had taken the trouble to present him in front of everyone else. The common thing was to integrate the newcomers to the classes without greater tumult and, it was up to them if they wanted to get to know each other or not.

She wanted to stay there a little more, just in case she could hear anything else, but the sudden sound of footsteps getting closer to her room and the sensation of a familiar presence made her rush back to her bed and take the book she had left on the night table.

"Lilith?"

The voice of her father filled the small room, his head peeking out from the door's gap. A chill ran down her back as she listened to him, praying he hadn't heard her hurried steps to the bed.

"Yes, sir?"

"What were you doing?"

The man stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, the cheering voices still perceptible in the hallways. She tried to take a quick glance outside, but as expected, she could only see the rooms in front of hers and the stairs.

"Reading."

Her father looked at her in the same way he'd been seeing her since she could remember: disgusted, totally annoyed that he had to have a witch under his roof.

"Whatever. Be quiet and don´t make any sound. Someone very important has just arrived and I don't want him to know you are here, it would be a nuisance."

"Yes, sir." 

And with that, he went back to his duties, leaving his daughter alone again, like most of the time. 

On the first floor, Michael was shaking hands and receiving friendly hugs from his new colleagues, all smiling excited for his arrival, apparently.

However, he was distracted, he felt like someone was calling him from another point of the house, specifically from the upper level. He'd sensed that from the moment he entered the place, but with each minute that passed, his curiosity and need to know what it became bigger.

He tried to ignore it as the other students showed him the building and how things worked around. He managed to keep himself distracted until they reached the penultimate floor where they show him where his room was and complete the tour.

"That's all? We haven't gone to the last floor."

He pointed at the stairs, getting closer to them as he felt someone calling him again, but this time it was stronger.

"That's because we're not allowed to go up."

"Why?"

"That's where the instructors sleep, it's none of our business what they have in their rooms."

He nods in agreement, but he wasn't convinced. There was someone up there and it wasn't an instructor or student, the energy that came off was stronger and if possible, it felt dainty.

"Goodnight."

The boys went to their rooms while he got in his and inspected the place: a bed, a small closet, and a desk, that was all and for him, it was more than enough. He got closer to the wardrobe, noticing clothing and a pair of shoes. He's about to pick up one to see it when he hears something falling in the room above him.

Intrigued, he takes off his shoes and climbs onto the bed, looking at the ceiling and reaching out to touch it. He can hear some hasty footsteps, but only that. Even so, he feels the need to know who's that person upstairs and without thinking it very well, he closes his fist and knocks on the ceiling twice. He waits for a response, but there's none, so he repeats the action, this time louder.

On the other side, Lily was having dinner when she'd dropped a glass and it crashed to the ground, breaking immediately. Frightened, she'd stand up from her chair to pick up the scattered pieces on the floor, almost crying in fear that her father had heard.

She almost felt her soul leave her body when she heard two knocks on the floor, silent and slow, but strong enough to almost cause her a panic attack. Her father was going to kill her! What if she had bothered that special guest he mentioned before?

She heard another two knocks again, but this time they seemed kind of... Friendly. Still shaking, she put an ear to the ground and closed her eyes, trying to find out who was the person beneath her, but she's surprised to feel that attractive presence again, stronger than before.

Michael was also attracted to whoever was up, so he stretched his arm again, putting his palm against the ceiling, almost feeling he could touch the other person.

"Who's there?"

She doesn't answer, she's too scared to do it. Instead, she concentrates on his energy, enjoying the peaceful feeling it brings her. She stays there for long minutes, Michael imitating her actions without even realizing it, creating a unique and powerful bond that gets broken when her door's open abruptly.

Lily flinches and stands up immediately to pile up the broken pieces in a corner, trying to hide them.

"What did I tell you?!"

Her father takes her by the arm with anger, almost burying his nails on the delicate skin.

"I'm sorry."

"Go to sleep!"

He almost throws her to the bed, so she quickly covers her face with the pillows and pulls a blanket while her father disappears the glass with a single movement of his hand.

"If I hear any other noise, you won't eat anything the rest of the week. Understand?"

She nods, and he leaves the room, the poor girl still shaking in fear.

Michael stares at the ceiling, confused by the turmoil above him. He steps down the mattress and lays down, his gaze still up. What was that weird feeling in his chest? Why did he feel the necessity of seeing whoever was there?

Lily wondered the same, the fear and curiosity causing her to crawl back to the floor, with a pillow and a blanket, and fell asleep, concentrating on the energy the stranger spread.


	2. Meeting

Michael spent the next few days trying to climb the stairs with no one noticing, but it was impossible. There were pupils following him all the time, and the instructors didn’t take their eyes off him. Nights were the only moment he was alone and unsupervised when everyone was asleep in their respective rooms. He could try to go up at those times, but the risk that one of the teachers would catch him was high considering they sleep on that floor.

So he limited himself to staring at the ceiling for hours, knowing the other person was doing the same, he could feel them. Occasionally he’d talk to them, he narrated his day, all the new spells he learned and how he felt he could control himself more.

Lily listened carefully, lying on the floor with a pillow and a blanket. She never responded, though, she was scared to bother him and scaring him away; she loved his voice and didn’t think she could live without it and the tranquillity it granted her.

After a week and a half of his arrival, the instructors had a meeting and all the students were given permission to be a few hours around the land above the house.

Michael saw his opportunity: He excused himself with fellow students saying he was tired and waited for everyone to leave, in his room. When he made sure there was no one in the corridors, he came out discreetly and climbed the flight of stairs to the top floor. It took a few seconds to locate the room where that attractive energy was coming from, realizing that it was the second one on his right with little trouble. He approached it slowly, eager to know who was hiding behind the wood, and knocked twice, as was the custom.

The door opens almost immediately, a young woman dressed in a long elegant cherry skirt and a black blouse stand before him, staying static for a few moments before closing the door with a bang, her face pale and her pupils dilated with terror.

Lily didn’t know what to do, if her father found out that a student had seen her he’d burn her in front of the entire school, literally. She was afraid, but also wanted to open the door and hug the stranger to feel his warmth and energy. It was something in her instinct that drew her to him and she couldn’t resist it.

Michael was astonished, impressed there was a woman in the academy, but more shocked by his need to touch her, to see her eyes and get lost in them forever. He knocked on the door again, this time somewhat anxious, and put an ear against the wood, hoping to catch movement inside the room.

“Who are you?”

He barely hears it, but the sound of her voice somehow hypnotizes him.

“My name's Michael Langdon, my room is below yours.”

Had she made him mad? Had she been too loud?

“I’m sorry if I bothered you, I’ll be more careful with the noises I make.”

“No, you didn’t bother me… Can you open the door?”

“Why are you here? Students aren’t allowed to be on this floor.”

As much as she wants to see his face again, she isn’t opening the door. If her father sees them, it would be the end of both.

"I was curious to know whom I talk to at night.”

“Where are the instructors?”

“In a meeting.”

"And the other students?”

“Outside, they’ve been granted permission to leave for a few hours.”

If everyone was out and her father was in a meeting with the other teachers, there was no way he could find out about this, right?

With apprehension, Lily opened the door just enough to see half of her body. She stood there analysing Michael from head to toe, absorbed in his beautiful features, worthy of any god.

“Do I know you?”

Michael asks, trying to open the door a little more to see her, but without being too rough to scare her. The dim light of the place allowed him to see what he thought was a familiar face as if he’d already met her elsewhere.

"No, it’s been years since I last left this place.”

She felt the same way as Michael, but it was impossible, she’d been locked in that house for years, even before she'd learned to read. She didn’t remember what it was to be outside the four walls of her room, she lived in the light of the candles, in complete silence and eating just enough to survive.

While she tries to decipher the origin of that strange feeling of belonging, he takes advantage of her distraction and pushes the door subtly, opening it completely. Lily tries to hide, but Michael grabs her by the arm and pulls her towards him, holding her by the shoulders so he can see her better.

“Who are you?”

She can’t answer, fear paralysing her and causing her to close her eyes believing he’ll hurt her. Michael sees her flinching, so he caresses her cheek with the back of his hand, trying to ease her.

She slowly raises her eyelids, astounds at the feeling that such action causes in her. Taking a little courage, she dares look him in the eyes, being absorbed in them like Michael in hers.

“I´m… My… Na… Name…”

She couldn’t speak, almost believing that if she opens her lips, he’ll vanish in the air like he was an illusion created by her loneliness.

“Breath, calm down and tell me your name.”

Somehow, his voices relax her and taking a deep breathe, she's able to form a coherent sentence.

“My name's Lilith… Lilith Moore.”

“You’re Mr. Moore’s daughter?”

He’d had never imagined it, now he understands why the poor girl was locked in there, terrified even of her own shadow. How long had Moore been hiding there?

“Don’t tell him you saw me, please.”

She’s on the verge of tears, her voice cracking at the thought of her dad.

“Why are you so scared of him?”

She doesn’t answer, instead, she looks at her arms, covered by the black sleeves. Michael doesn’t know why, but something in him breaks as he slides the fabric up her skin, revealing a bunch of bruises, scratches and burn marks in a variety of colours.

“Did you take care of this?”

He stares at one cut near her wrist that looks infected, it was red and swollen and seemed to cause her a lot of pain.

“No, Mr. Moore said it wasn’t necessary. He said that if he tried everything, his power allowed him to get rid of me and nothing worked, a simple cut wouldn’t do major harm.”

She didn’t even call Henry father, but Michael didn’t ask as he assumed he didn’t like that word coming from her lips.

He sat her down on the bed, his hands on the wounds trying to heal them. He did the same with her other arm as she looked at him with fascination; her father avoided using magic in front of her, she’d only seen him perform simple enchantments, but what Michael had just done was much more, something she didn’t even think was possible.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lilith.”

He kisses her hand tenderly, looking directly at her eyes in the process, causing a slight blush on the girl’s cheeks.

“Lily's fine. And the pleasure’s mine, Mr. Langdon.” 

“Michael, just Michael.”

“Thanks… Michael.”


	3. Bond

It became a habit to visit her at night after that first meeting. Lily knocked on the ground twice to indicate him that her father was already asleep and Michael ran up the stairs, taking care that no other student saw him.

Still, there were days when she didn´t show signs of life, meaning her father was roaming the place or in the room, so Michael sang to comfort her without raising suspicion of her father. 

It was something new and strange to him, he spent the whole day anxious, waiting for his lessons to end so he could see those eyes he loved so much. The same thing happened to Lily, before the solitude of her room didn´t seem so overwhelming, in fact, she liked it more than the alternative: being with her father or the other instructors, but she couldn´t live without him anymore, she needed at least his voice to be calm and not want to scream in despair.

When he could finally see her, they locked themselves in her room for hours, trying not to make too much noise to not attract the attention of other people on the same floor. The first few days he would sit on a chair and watch her read sitting on the bed, but as time went on, the trust between them grew.

They build forts made out of blankets and pillows, and she sits there to hear him sing or talk about his day while he had his head resting on her lap. Other days they preferred to lie down in bed and Lilith read in a voice barely high enough for Michael to hear while he, with closed eyes, enjoyed her sweet voice, the one that brought him so much peace. 

However, there was something that kept bothering him: why she didn´t run away if her father treated her so badly? Her energy was perceptible from miles away and it was obvious that her powers were almost as strong as his. What stopped her then?

“Why do you never use your powers?”

He asks her one night while she reads Hamlet. Lily is surprised by the question, leaving the book aside while he turns to look at her curiously.

“Because I don´t know how to control them.”

“Didn´t your father ever teach you?”

“No.”

Michael knew she hated talking about her father, she avoided the subject all the time and if he asked questions about him, she usually ignores it.

“I could help you if you want.”

“I don´t want you to waste time on that.”

She gets up from and goes to the desk to pour herself some tea he had prepared especially for her, avoiding his gaze.

“But I want to do it.”

“No, Michael.”

He imitates her actions and gets behind her, holding her by the shoulders to turn her around and hold her by the chin.

“I’m sure you could get to do great things.”

“It’s a danger to both of us.”

“You could escape from here.”

“And where would I go? Besides, I'd never had the courage to face Mr. Moore, even if I had the same power range as you. ”

“But…”

“Michael…”

“If you only let me try it…”

“I said no!”

He feels something pushing him back, but he doesn´t sense her touch. Lilith screams and for a moment, he thinks her father had caught them, however, after examining the room, he realizes that they ´re the only ones in the room.

“Get out of here.”

Lilith runs to open the door, shaking and clinging to the wood to keep her balance. She'd hurt him and he would never forgive her, he was going to leave her and she would have to live isolated again, going crazy in his absence.

“Lily…”

She feels a hand on her shoulder and, still trembling, she turns to see him with teary eyes.

“I’m fine.”

She shakes her head frantically, not wanting to listen to him and convinced that she'd hurt him. Michael embraces her in his arms after shutting the door again, holding her close to his chest and taking her hand to put it on his cheek. She looks him in the eyes and he kisses her palm to confirm that he's well and not upset.

“That’s the reason I don´t want you to help me. I could hurt you… Or worse. ”

Michael smiles at her tenderly and intertwines one of his hands with hers, feeling a little tingle at the point of the fingers at her touch.

His other goes to her cheek, from where he marks imaginary figures down to her neck and back. Lily closes her eyes, enjoying the affection, her breathing stabilizing, almost feeling that, somehow, her energy connects with him.

Michael leans over her when he notices her eyes shut, and he presses his lips to hers gently, barely touching them. Lily opens her eyes immediately, noticing how near he is and how much that closeness pleases her. She doesn´t say anything, she squeezes his hand a little more between her and this act encourages Michael to kiss her in all the sense of the word. He puts a hand behind her neck and brings her closer to him, his lips moving with such fierceness he hears her moan and seconds later, she pulls him from the neck of his shirt to bring him closer if possible.

It was as if something in her suddenly fit, the permanent emptiness she didn´t know she had until that moment, suddenly being filled with so much love she felt she was going to cry again.

“Don´t let me go.”

Lilith tells him barely in a sigh, trying to recover the air after separating. Michael just shakes his head, eyes still shut and placing a tender kiss on her forehead.

They remain silent, as close as they can, seeing each other’s eyes so intensely that they feel that the other can see through them. Without warning, Michael begins to cry and pulls her to his chest again, burying his head in her neck trying to stifle his sobs.

“What's wrong?”

Lilith's scared, was he regretting kissing her? With a trembling hand, she combs his hair delicately, the soft golden strands gliding easily between her fingers.

She feels small drops of water fall down her neck and shoulder, and she's about to apologize without knowing exactly why, when Michael marks a trace of wet little kisses up her neck, through her chin, her cheeks, and her nose to end in her lips again. This time the kiss is more sweet and innocent, but they still feel the need they had for each other with every touch.


	4. Love

It took him a few days (and some kisses) to convince her to accept his help. He started with the basics, from how to position her hands to have a proper posture as not to hurt herself. He went on to teach her simple enchantments relying on some books he had used to train and always made small demonstrations before she tried them.

Lily was fascinated, she'd never imagined she could get to do everything she’d seen in the academy for years. Her father had made her believe his power surpassed anything she could try and was better to forget that she even possessed the gift of witchcraft. 

It was the best month of their lives, neither of them remembered being so happy in all their years of existence. When they were alone, there was no one to remind them of their misfortunes or what their mission in the world was, they were only two young lovers. It was a little proof of what their lives could be like if they were normal people, that mundane existence that many complained about, but they wish they had. 

It all ended when Michael was tested to see how strong his power range was. Lilith had been delighted with the fact he passed them all and therefore considered level four, but upon learning that the true purpose of the instructors was to call the Supreme and the council to test him in the Seven Wonders, the idea no longer seemed so lovely.

"But... You've only been training for a month."

She didn´t want Michael to notice that she had begun trembling, so she discreetly crossed her arms and held the fabric of her blouse between her fists.

"You don´t have to worry, I'm sure I can do it well."

Lily didn´t doubt his ability, she couldn´t after seeing all the wonders he did with no effort. But in the end, no warlock had taken the test before, it was too dangerous even for the witches. What if something happened to him? What was she supposed to do then?

"Love..."

The nickname takes her by surprise, he'd never called her in any other way than her name.

"Are you ok?"

Michael sits up and holds her cheeks in his hands, seeing her directly in the eyes, as he knew how much she liked it.

"I don´t want anything to happen to you."

Her eyes are watery, but she refuses to shed a single tear in front of him again. She looked ridiculous crying whenever they saw each other, she was embarrassed by her attitude.

"Hey..."

"I know it's selfish from my part, but I don´t care. If you leave, if I couldn’t hear your voice again or smell your scent... I would drive myself insane, I couldn´t continue living in a world where you are not."

Michael hugs her, realizing that she's more frightened than she expresses, considering the way she trembles and tries to skip his gaze. 

"I´ll be fine, I promise."

She smiles at him, but there is a notorious uncertainty in her eyes despite his words. She had to trust him even if the situation made her anxious, she wouldn´t express her fear again and would support him as much as possible.

Michael almost tells her the truth, the reason behind his presence at the academy and why it is necessary to show how strong he can be. However, he's sure she would run away in terror if she knew his true nature, a soul as pure as Lily's would be afraid of the corruption of his. 

He feels a certain weight in his chest after realizing Lilith, sooner or later, would end up learning the truth and he would have to let her go. Throughout his life, he had lost important people whom he believed loved him; but he isn´t prepared to lose her, not after she showed him what it felt like to be loved and appreciated.

He imagines her horrified, her beautiful features distorted in repugnance and rejection towards him. Horrible words come out of her mouth, phrases with which he was already familiar for some time, but somehow sounded more bitter coming from her.

He tries to shake the image of his head knowing such hurtful things would never come out from the lips of his beloved, but the feeling is so overwhelming he has to hug her to hide the fear from his eyes. 

The day that Cordelia Goode and her group of girls arrived at the school, John felt it was necessary to lock his daughter in her room with a key and a simple spell because he knew there was no way she would even try to leave.

The girl knew the witches should already be inside the house because of the environment in which it was submerged in the presence of such powerful beings. She wanted to see Michael, wish him luck and kiss him, just in case she´ll need to remember how it felt.

"Michael…"

She knocked on the floor with nervousness, knowing he was there because of the noise he made with his footsteps.

"Yes, love?"

"Promise me you´ll come back."

"I promise."

"I trust you'll do so well they won´t doubt you are the Alpha."

"Thank you."

"I love you."

She had wanted to say those words to him some time ago, but there was always something in her that held the phrase in her throat. She doesn’t expect him to say it back, they´ve only known each other for a month after all, but she needed to make sure he was aware of her feelings. 

“What did you say?” 

Michael can´t believe what he just heard. The word love wasn´t something he was constantly told, he's not even sure he'd listen to it before. 

“I love you.” 

Lilly ´s nervous, the fear that those words scare him away causes her to regret having even thought of telling them. 

“Michael?” 

“I love you too.” 

They don´t say anything after that, it's unnecessary. Lily smiles as never in her life, a certain warm feeling covering her heart as well as Michael's.

They were only two children in love, but the powerful bond they had was perceptible from miles away. It was supernatural like if they were meant to find one another since the beginning, their souls connected in a mellifluous dance all along.


	5. Void

The situation is so unexpected that Lily doesn´t know where exactly she is when she finally wakes up. Besides, she's most concerned by the scarlet fluid that falls from her front and across the left cheek, than the reason she's in a stranger's car. 

She can't remember well what happened before losing consciousness, but something is sure: Michael would never ever see her again, her father would make sure of that. 

All that nightmare began when Michael decided to go for a girl to the Hotel Cortez to show Cordelia, he was capable of doing the Seven Wonders. She recalled begging him not to leave her alone, but he'd ignored her request and left without even saying goodbye. He was gone for two days, but Lilith felt them like centuries, the calm his energy gave her had left with him and insomnia returned to attack her. 

Michael came back to the Academy with two women: an African American and a blonde with an unpleasant aura. After he appeared with those witches by his side, the Supreme accepted that Michael was more than ready to take the test. Lily had been locked up in her room four days by the time this happened, and it was evident that her situation wouldn't change for at least one more week. She had tried to force the lock with some objects and even, in a risky move, attempted to use a spell that ended up causing a deep cut on her palm. The scream she emitted had been enough excuse for her father to hit her so hard that if Behold hadn´t stopped him, he probably would have broken her a bone. She knew Michael had heard not only her cries and pleas to her father for a little mercy but also her attempts to open the door. She had knocked on the ground as soon as she felt his energy again and heard his hurried footsteps in the room, but he hadn´t answered. She didn´t try it again until a few hours later thinking he was tired by the journey, but he refused to give signs of life. Lily was angry, she felt somewhat betrayed. Didn´t he care that Moore hurt her that way? She didn't keep trying to communicate with him after that, thinking perhaps he got bored and found something better in his trip. 

Michael did hear the disturbance in the room above his, but he couldn’t to do or say anything because the instructors were in his room when the bangs and screams had begun. He felt the blood boil in his veins while Behold climbed the stairs to stop the fight and the other two teachers tried to distract him from the noise. He wanted to say something, but he knew that if anyone found out he was aware of the existence of Lily, they´ll take her away from him, or worse. 

He´d wanted to see her since his return, but hadn´t thought that bringing those two witches back from the dead would bring so much attention, both from the warlocks and witches. They asked him questions and praised him while following him around the Academy as if he would vanish in the blink of an eye. 

Any hope of meeting her at night vanished when it was announced they´d make a small ceremony to celebrate him being able to take the test. Michael tried to be excited, but he couldn't stop thinking about Lilith, especially after not having heard her footsteps following the incident with her father. During the celebration, he'd tried to escape on several occasions, but was always stopped by a pair of arms or voices that called him at the last moment. He spent the whole night this way; the anguish accumulating in his chest as the hours passed with no one noticed his strange behaviour. When he could finally leave, he lay on his bed and fell asleep almost immediately. He was so tired he hadn´t even noticed her absence; he didn´t even remember why he was worried until he woke up a few hours later.

He opened his eyes to find the room was cold, something strange because wherever he was the heat was inevitable. He had a void in his chest, a strange feeling that didn´t allow him to breathe normally as he got up on the mattress and knocked on the roof somewhat anxiously.

Nothing.

He knocked again, harder, desperately searching for that energy he was already so familiar with, but there was no trace. He feared the worst that perhaps her father had hurt Lilith so badly that her fragile and delicate body hadn´t resisted such level of bestiality.

He climbed down from the mattress and ran to the flight of stairs, still barefoot, feeling that with each step he went backward instead of forward. He saw Ariel and Baldwin talking in the hallway, pausing after seeing him open the second door on the left in a complete state of panic. 

"Michael, you can´t go in there!"

He listened to their worried and authoritarian voices, but he didn´t care; he needed to confirm she was fine that this bad feeling was just him being melodramatic. But upon entering the room, he found a desolate chamber in complete order: the bed made, the furniture arranged differently than he remembered and the wardrobe emptied, as did the trunk next to it.

"Where is Lilith?"

The instructors saw him from the doorway impressed at the mention of that name as he continued to examine the room. On the floor, almost next to the bed, there were some drops of blood, causing him to cry from despair and turn to see the two men at the door.

"I asked you something."

"We don´t know. John took her a few hours ago. "

Returning to the beginning, Lily's dazed and dizzy, the movement of the car not helping much in her condition. Still lying in the back of what she now assumes is her father's van, she begins to remember what happened at the Academy, nausea, and fear caused her such discomfort she has to take a deep breath of air to calm herself down.

Her father had woken her up abruptly after flogging the door and entering with hurried stomps. He had taken her by the arm and pushed her off the bed at the same time he opened her wardrobe and pulled out all the clothing to throw them on the bed.

"What's going on?"

He didn´t answer, instead grabbing a suitcase from the top of the closet and throwing it in her face, telling her to pack her "shit" immediately and get ready to leave. Lily was confused, she didn´t know where he wanted to take her, or why. Since the day she had come into his life, she didn´t remember leaving the Academy, not even when her father went on trips. 

"Where are we going?"

"I'm going to New Orleans, I'll see what to do with you on the way."

"What are you talking about?"

"Pack your things or I'll burn them. It's up to you."

"But I don´t want to leave."

"I'm not asking you. Do as I say. "

"No."

Her father was furious, irritated by her attitude. Exasperated, he set fire to her belongings on the bed and took her arm again to drag her out of the room. She was resisting, trying to cling to the door frame while whimpering like a little girl, feeling her body temperature suddenly rise.

"Michael!"

She screamed in despair, not caring that her father discovered the friendship she had with the boy. Surprised, he'd turned to see her even angrier, pulling her to get her out of the room, when he felt something burning his hand. He released her and saw the singed skin, noticing it had been due to the contact of his skin with hers.

Lilith ran back to the bed, trying to put out the flames, when her father hit her hard on the head, causing her to fall unconscious on the floor, hitting her forehead. He carried her to his van after leaving the whole room in order as if no one had been living there for almost a decade.


	6. Mother

She can´t stop crying even though her father has already threatened her several times with abandoning her if she doesn´t keep quiet. At this point, maybe she's doing it on purpose, subconsciously wishing he would leave her and never see him again. 

"Why do you hate me so much?"

Lilith's annoyed, she had reached a limit where she no longer cared if he hit her to death, one way or another, she doesn´t want to continue breathing if she can´t be with Michael.

"For being a woman? Are you that narcissist?” 

John can´t believe that after so many years of abnegation and fear, Lily finally dared to challenge him. She had never tried anything against him, not even when she entered puberty. It was all Langdon's fault, which he was sure was hiding something malevolent behind his appearance of an innocent child.

"Do you really think that's why I hate you? I've dealt with many witches in my life, your mother included, one more wouldn´t cause me so much apathy. "

The mention of her mother surprises her, she had never heard her father mention her besides the day she arrived at the Academy by the hand of a child services agent.

"You are much more than a simple witch, there is something wrong with you, and I knew it from the day you were born. The house was abnormally hot and several crows circled our land for no reason. Strange things happened from the first day, but we didn´t pay attention because we thought they were the instincts you couldn´t control because you were a baby. However, as you grew, the situation became more macabre: dead animals appeared throughout the house, wherever you were the heat was unbearable and the knives constantly disappeared and then we find them in your bed. I begged your mother to get rid of you, but her maternal side clouded her common sense and that's why I left. "

Lilith remembers having her father present until her third birthday when he'd gone missing overnight. Her mother, a witch who presumed to come from a long line of occultists from medieval Germany (some of them had even held the title of Supreme) was a vain and proud woman, but she recalled her with love and tenderness. She'd given her as much as she could and her first five years of life had been full of affection and parsimony; she didn´t remember the dead animals, the heat or the crows. 

"Nereida was an idiot. I loved her, but she was just as blind with admiration for you as Ariel with Michael."

"Don´t call my mom an idiot."

"You have no right to call her mom after what you did to her."

"What are you talking about?"

She'd stopped crying, the sadness slowly turning into anger.

"You know exactly what I mean."

John looks away from the road for a few seconds to see her straight in the eyes, intending to intimidate her, but Lily looks back and denies having knowledge of what he's trying to tell her.

"You impress me, but I'm not surprised. I always wondered how you could sleep so peacefully, feeling no kind of remorse, but it turns out you just can´t even remember killing your own mother. "

His words take Lily by surprise, causing her to flinch and see him with a mixture of horror and confusion.

"I didn´t kill her, she committed suicide upon learning you wanted to remarry."

"Who told you that? Probably the bastard who took you to the Academy, right? No, Lilith, remember well what happened that night and face the abominations you've committed. " 

Lily shakes her head frantically and covers her ears trying not to listen to him, he was lying like all those times before. But somehow, she knows it's true, some images of the tragedy returning to her memory: the lake of blood that fell down the stairs, the knife in her hand and the body of her mother inert at the foot of the steps.

What had she done? Why kill her mother when she gave her so much love and protection? What was wrong with her?

She begins to cry again, this time scared of herself and with remorse for her actions. Her father sees her disgusted from the driver's seat, watching her from head to toe trying to decide what to do. He could kill and bury her in the woods, nobody would ever look for her and they wouldn´t find her by accident; but doing that would make him the same as her and that was something John flatly refused to do.

Returning to concentrate on the road, he visualizes a gas station a few meters away and noticed the car was almost running out of gasoline, stops at the place with idleness. 

"Don´t get out of the car."

And with that, he steps out and reaches the hose to load gas while Lily returns to lay down and tries to stifle her sobs.

John leans on the side of the car to answer a message as he waits for the tank to fill up, noticing a van parking across him. He doesn´t pay much attention to it, only turning briefly to knock on the window and tell his daughter to keep silent, then continues to see the screen of the phone.

A woman dressed in black and a red scarf gets out of the van and tries to pull the hose to load gasoline, but it seems she has difficulty in carrying out that action. 

“Gosh, darn it.”

John puts away his phone as he sees the woman, undecided between offering his help or not. She looks at him seemingly embarrassed and smiles nervously while still trying to pull the hose. 

“Excuse my language. I can never get the thingy on the hole… Would you mind? My hands are just useless.” 

He turns discreetly to verify Lily isn´t snooping but finds her still crying with her hands covering her face like a wounded animal. She´s not trying anything weird and he knows it. 

“Yeah, sure.” 

He walks to where the woman is and takes the hose from her hands, pulling from it until he inserts it in the hole. 

“Just give it to me. I got it.” 

“God bless you. A good Samaritan is harder to find than a camel in the eye of a needle.” 

John smiles at her with discomfort, checking in the corner of his eye if his daughter still lays down. 

“Do you have a credit card to pay?” 

“Yes, yes, yes…” 

She opens her purse and gets the plastic out and then pay while John watches over his own car nervously. 

“Doesn’t seem fair, does it? You get to a point in your life and… There are so many things left to do, and so little time left in the hourglass.” 

“Well, I guess we all feel like that when we reach a certain age, right?” 

She turns to see him as she laughs and removes the card from the booth. John looks at her confused.

“I wasn´t talking about me.” 

Her card suddenly drops to the floor. 

“Darn it.” 

She bends down to pick it up at the same time he tries to imitate her actions, but a sharp pain in the tendons causes him to scream and fall abruptly to the ground. Lilith gets alarmed when she hears her father screeches and sits up scared in the seat to see out the window. 

“Accio…” 

She watches as a stranger cuts his trout with a pocket knife and the blood goes out in all directions. Startled, she opens the door with trembling hands and looking over her shoulder in case the woman sees her trying to escape. 

“No more spells.” 

Lily steps down the car and shivers at the touch of her skin with the cold pavement. She kneels down and tries to crawl to the other side of the road, into the woods, the white peignoir she's wearing not being enough to warm her. 

“Where are you going?” 

She sees a pair of feet in front of her and as she looks up, she can’t help but scream in terror and stand up to run. The woman grabs her by the arm and her touch is enough to trigger all the memories of his father doing the same before beating her. 

“Let me go! You can take the car and whatever there’s inside, I don´t care! I won´t tell anyone about this!” 

She manages to free herself and then turns to see the woman with teary eyes. She tries to reach for her again, but Lily screams and flames start to consume her father’s body behind her. This makes her panic again and reconsider the situation: It was better if she let the woman kill her, nobody would notice, she was an orphan and had no friends. The only one who could care about her sudden disappearance is Michael and she's not even sure about that. 

She drops to her knees again and closes her eyes, feeling the hot tears streaming down her cheeks like rivers, accepting her fate and not giving a damn about it anymore. 

“Are you Lilith?” 

Lily opens her eyes, wondering why that stranger knows her name. 

“Yes.” 

“Come on, then. Michael's waiting for you.” 

Her eyes sparkle after hearing his name, a small ray of hope making her legs act on their own and get up to get closer to the woman. 

“Michael? Michael Langdon?” 

“Yes, he sends me to find you.” 

The woman takes her softly by the hand and guides the poor child to her van. Lily gets in the car and stares at the woman as she does the same and starts the engine. 

“The Academy's not that far, but it's at least an hour drive from here, so you can sleep for a while. And don´t worry that beast you called father won´t hurt you anymore.” 

The van moves and the flames start to extinguish in the distance, making her feel relieved at the thought of not dealing with her dad ever again. She leans her head on the window, closing her eyes as she hears the soft rock music in the background. 

She is free, finally free.


End file.
